1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a moving handrail for use in a passenger conveyor.
2. Description of the Related Art
For connection of a thermoplastic elastomer article such as escalator handrail that includes a large number of reinforcing cables or a slider knit, two ends of the article are cut along with the existing reinforcing cable to form patterns engaging with each other, and both ends are brought into engagement. Thereafter, the end portions are placed in a mold together with a resin sheet to be an outer layer and a slider knit, which have been preliminarily made, and press-molded to complete a connection article. This connection product is disclosed in the International Patent Publication No. WO 97/37834.
However, in the connection article without connection between the reinforcing cables as described above, there is a possibility that any breakage that occurs will occur at a joint portion therebetween. It is further possible that the joint portion of the article is stretched during moving, thereby causing any change in dimensions due to the use of thermoplastic elastomer.
The invention has an object of providing a moving handrail for a passenger conveyor including a metal stretch inhibitor and connecting metal stretch inhibitors to each other by an adhesive or welding, in which a joint portion of the moving handrail is prevented from being stretched. The invention has a further object of providing a moving handrail in which durability of the joint portion is further improved.
To accomplish the foregoing objects, a moving handrail for a passenger conveyor according to the present invention includes a linear belt of which two end portions are connected forming a loop. This linear belt is composed of: a single-layer or multilayer of thermoplastic elastomer of C-shape in cross section; metallic and web-shaped metal stretch inhibitors disposed along a longitudinal direction of the thermoplastic elastomer; and base members coupled inside of the mentioned thermoplastic elastomer. The mentioned thermoplastic elastomer, metal stretch inhibitor and base member are integrally molded. In the mentioned connection portion of the mentioned moving handrail for a passenger conveyor, a splice junction between the mentioned metal stretch inhibitors and a joint where the base members are connected together at both end portions with the use of an auxiliary backing are disposed so as not to overlap in a direction of thickness of the moving handrail. Further, the mentioned metal stretch inhibitors having been spliced are enclosed with a thermoplastic elastomer.
Another moving handrail for a passenger conveyor according to the invention also includes a linear belt of which two end portions are connected forming a loop. This linear belt is also composed of: a single-layer or multilayer of thermoplastic elastomer of C-shape in cross section; metallic and web-shaped metal stretch inhibitors disposed along a longitudinal direction of the thermoplastic elastomer; and base members coupled inside of the mentioned thermoplastic elastomer. The mentioned thermoplastic elastomer, metal stretch inhibitor and base member are integrally molded. In the mentioned connection portion of the mentioned moving handrail for a passenger conveyor, both end portions of the mentioned metal stretch inhibitors of the mentioned connection portion are overlapped and spliced together so as to sandwich a buffer layer composed of both or either one of a thermoplastic resin sheet and a thermosetting rein sheet, otherwise via a buffer layer directly applied with a liquid resin. Further, the mentioned metal stretch inhibitors having been spliced are enclosed with a thermoplastic elastomer.
A further moving handrail for a passenger conveyor according to the invention also includes a linear belt of which two end portions are connected forming a loop. This linear belt is composed of: an inner layer thermoplastic elastomer of C-shape in cross section; an outer layer thermoplastic elastomer of an elastic modulus different from that of said inner layer thermoplastic elastomer; metallic and web-shaped metal stretch inhibitors disposed along a longitudinal direction of the thermoplastic elastomer; and base members coupled inside of the mentioned thermoplastic elastomers. The mentioned inner and outer thermoplastic elastomers, metal stretch inhibitor and base member are integrally molded. The mentioned connection portion of the mentioned moving handrail for a passenger conveyor includes: a splice junction between the mentioned metal stretch inhibitors; a joint where the base members are connected together with the use of an auxiliary backing at both end portions; and a butt joint where the mentioned inner layer thermoplastic elastomer is brought into an abutting relation at both ends that are formed into a straight line inclined at an angle of more than 0xc2x0 to less than 90xc2x0 with respect to a longitudinal direction, or a curved line. Further, the mentioned splice junction between the metal stretch inhibitors and the mentioned butt joint between the ends of the inner layer thermoplastic elastomer are covered with the outer layer thermoplastic elastomer.
A still further moving handrail for a passenger conveyor according to the invention also includes a linear belt of which two end portions are connected forming a loop. This linear belt is composed of: a single-layer or multilayer of thermoplastic elastomer of C-shape in cross section; metallic and web-shaped metal stretch inhibitors disposed along a longitudinal direction of the thermoplastic elastomer; and base members coupled inside of the mentioned thermoplastic elastomer. The mentioned thermoplastic elastomer, metal stretch inhibitor and base member are integrally molded. The mentioned connection portion of the mentioned moving handrail for a passenger conveyor includes: a splice junction between the mentioned metal stretch inhibitors; and a joint where both ends of the base member are formed into a straight line inclined at an angle of more than 0xc2x0 to less than 90xc2x0 with respect to a longitudinal direction or a curved line and connected together with the use of an auxiliary backing overlapped therewith in the same overlapping width. Further, the mentioned splice junction between the metal stretch inhibitors is covered with the thermoplastic elastomer.
A yet further moving handrail for a passenger conveyor according to the invention also includes a linear belt of which two end portions are connected forming a loop. This linear belt is composed of: a single-layer or multilayer of thermoplastic elastomer of C-shape in cross section; metallic and web-shaped metal stretch inhibitors disposed along a longitudinal direction of the thermoplastic elastomer; and base members coupled inside of the mentioned thermoplastic elastomer. The mentioned thermoplastic elastomer, metal stretch inhibitor and base member are integrally molded. The mentioned connection portion of the mentioned moving handrail for a passenger conveyor includes: a splice junction where the mentioned metal stretch inhibitors are overlapped and spliced so that both end portions having been formed into a straight line inclined at an angle of more than 0xc2x0 to less than 90xc2x0 with respect to a longitudinal direction or a curved line may be overlapped in the same width, and a joint where the base members at both end portions are connected together with the use of an auxiliary backing. Further, the mentioned splice junction between the metal stretch inhibitors is covered with the thermoplastic elastomer.
Although the moving handrail is often bent, but bending takes place in such a bend direction that an opening side of C-shape in cross section may come primarily to inside. A tensile force exerts on a ridgeline (edge line) portion of the moving handrail due to bending, however, as described above, it is arranged such that all the joints are not completely in conformity with the ridgeline. As a result, increase in rigidity is dispersed, and the likelihood of a stress concentration is reduced, thereby enabling to improve durability at the moving handrail connection portion.
The other objects and features of the present invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.